The Dark Knight: Joker’s Robbery of Gotham National Bank

1 INT. OFFICE, HIGH RISE -- DAY

A man in a CLOWN MASK holding a SMOKING SILENCED PISTOL ejects a shell casing. This is DOPEY. He turns to a second man, HAPPY, also in clown mask, who steps forward with a CABLE LAUNCHER, aims at a lower roof across the street and FIRES a cable across. Dopey secures the line to an I-beam line - CLAMP on - sends a KIT BAG out then steps OUT the window...

2 EXT. HIGH-RISE -- DAY

...into space. The men SLIDE across the DIZZYING DROP...landing on the lower roof across the street.

3 EXT. DOWNTOWN GOTHAM -- DAY 3

A MAN on the corner, back to us, holding a CLOWN MASK. An SUV pulls up. The man gets in, puts on his mask. Inside the car- two other men wearing CLOWN MASKS.

GRUMPY
Three of a kind. Let's do this.

One of the Clowns looks up from loading his automatic weapon.

CHUCKLES
That's it? Three guys?

GRUMPY
There's two on the roof. Every guy
is an extra share. Five shares is
plenty.

CHUCKLES
Six shares. Don't forget the guy
who planned the job.

GRUMPY
Yeah? He thinks he can sit it out
and still take a slice, then I get
why they call him the Joker.

Grumpy cocks his weapon. Bozo pulls the car over in front of the GOTHAM FIRST NATIONAL BANK.

4 EXT. ROOFTOP, BANK -- CONTINUOUS

Dopey PRIES open an access panel-

HAPPY
Why do they call him the Joker?

DOPEY
I heard he wears make-up.

HAPPY
Make-up?

Dopey pulls out thick bundles of blue CAT 5 cables.

DOPEY
Yeah. To scare people. War paint.

5 EXT. BANK -- CONTINUOUS

Grumpy, Chuckles and Bozo get out of the car and march into the bank CARRYING ASSAULT RIFLES--

6 INT. BANK -- DAY

The Security Guard looks up- Grumpy FIRES into the ceiling.

Customers SCREAM. Chuckles CRACKS the Security Guard.

As Grumpy and Bozo round up the hostages, one of the TELLERS presses a button mounted beneath her window- a SILENT ALARM.

7 EXT. ROOFTOP -- DAY

Dopey watches the alarm PING his handheld.

DOPEY
Here comes the silent alarm.
(touches a button)
And there it goes. That's funny.
It didn't dial out to 911- it was
trying to reach a private number.

Behind him, Happy RAISES his silenced HANDGUN.

HAPPY
Is it a problem?

DOPEY
No, no. I'm done here.

Happy SHOOTS. Dopey SLUMPS. Happy picks up his bag and FORCES OPEN the roof access door...

8 INT. STAIRWELL, BANK -- DAY

...and speeds down the stairs, to the basement. He SLAMS
open the door...

9 INT. VAULT ROOM, BANK -- DAY

...and comes face to face with a huge VAULT.

10 INT. LOBBY, BANK -- DAY

Bozo and Grumpy move down the line of hostages- Bozo hands each Hostage OBJECTS from a bag. A GRENADE.

Grumpy follows, PULLING THE PINS.

GRUMPY
Obviously, we don't want you doing
anything with your hands other than
holding on for dear life.

BLAM. Chuckles is BLOWN OFF HIS FEET- Grumpy and Bozo DIVE for cover- the Bank Manager steps out of his office, SHOTGUN in hand. Hostages SCRAMBLE, CLINGING their grenades...

11 INT. VAULT ROOM, BANK -- DAY

Happy CLAMPS a DRILL to the vault- the bit SPINS- SLIDES into the metal door- a BOLT of ELECTRICITY RIPS THROUGH THE DRILL, THROWING HAPPY TO THE FLOOR--

12 INT. LOBBY, BANK -- DAY

Grumpy and Bozo cower as the Bank Manager FIRES again.

GRUMPY
He's got three left?

Bozo raises TWO fingers. Grumpy squeezes off a SHOT. The Bank Manager FIRES. FIRES again. Grumpy looks at Bozo, who nods. Grumpy JUMPS UP.

The Bank Manager FIRES- Grumpy GRUNTS as buckshot CLIPS his shoulder. FALLS. The Bank Manager moves in for the kill, FUMBLING for new shells. Bozo STANDS- SHOOTS him.

Bozo picks up the shotgun. Grumpy checks his wound- it's superficial. He struggles to his feet.

GRUMPY (CONT'D)
Where'd you learn to count?!

Bozo's mask stares him down. Grumpy heads for the stairs in the back. Bozo starts loading fresh shells into the shotgun.

BANK MANAGER
You have any idea who you're stealing
from? You and your friends are dead.

Bozo looks down at him. Says nothing.

13 INT. VAULT ROOM, BANK -- DAY

Happy at the vault door, barefoot, turning the tumblers with hands stuffed into his SNEAKERS. Grumpy walks in.

HAPPY
They wired this thing up with 5,000
volts. What kind of bank does that?

GRUMPY
A mob bank. Guess the Joker's as
crazy as they say.

Happy shrugs. Grips the WHEEL BOLT and SPINS it.

GRUMPY (CONT'D)
Where's the alarm guy?

HAPPY
Boss told me when the guy was done I
should take him out. One less share.

GRUMPY
Funny, he told me something similar...

Happy FREEZES. The wheel SPINS to a STOP- the vault DOOR
CLUNKS OPEN- Happy GRABS for his weapon- SPINS to see Grumpy SHOOT. Grumpy steps over Happy into the vault...

14 INT. VAULT, BANK -- DAY

...which is filled with an eight-foot MOUNTAIN OF CASH.

15 INT. LOBBY, BANK -- DAY 15

Grumpy walks into the lobby, straining under several DUFFELS filled with cash. He DUMPS them. Looks at Bozo. LAUGHS.

GRUMPY
C'mon, there's a lot to carry...

16 INT. LOBBY, BANK -- DAY

Bozo walks back into the lobby with two more DUFFELS. Sets them down on an ENORMOUS PILE. Grumpy looks at it.

GRUMPY
If this guy was so smart he would
have had us bring a bigger car.

Grumpy JABS his pistol in Bozo's back. Takes his weapon.

GRUMPY (CONT'D)
I'm betting the Joker told you to
kill me soon as we loaded the cash.

BOZO
(shakes head)
No. I kill the bus driver.

GRUMPY
Bus driver? What bus-

Bozo steps backwards. SMASH. Hostages SCREAM as the TAIL END OF A YELLOW SCHOOL BUS ROCKETS through the front of the bank, SLAMMING Grumpy into the teller's window. Bozo picks up Grumpy's weapon. Another clown OPENS the rear door of the bus. Bozo SHOOTS him. Then loads the bags onto the bus. The wounded Bank Manager watches him. In the distance: SIRENS.

BANK MANAGER
Think you're smart, huh? Well, the
guy who hired you's just do the same
to you...

Bozo slowly shakes his head.

BANK MANAGER (CONT'D)
Sure he will. Criminals in this
town used to believe in things...

Bozo turns back to the Bank Manager. Crouches over him.

BANK MANAGER (CONT'D)
Honor. Respect. What do you believe,
huh? What do you bel-

Bozo slides a GRENADE into the man's mouth. A PURPLE THREAD is knotted around the pin.

THE JOKER
I believe that what doesn't kill
you...

Bozo PULLS off his MASK. The Bank Manager GASPS. In the reflections of the glass DEBRIS behind the Bank Manager we see GLIMPSES of a SCARRED MOUTH and CLOWN MAKEUP. THE JOKER.

THE JOKER (CONT'D)
...simply makes you stranger.

The Bank Manager's eyes go wide. The Joker rises, strolls towards the bus, the purple thread attached to the grenade pin UNRAVELING FROM THE PURPLE LINING of his jacket as he walks. The Joker climbs into the bus, SHUTS the rear door,

TRAPPING THE PURPLE THREAD...

17 EXT. SCHOOL, GOTHAM -- DAY

Kids pour out, heading onto a long line of school buses.

18 INT. BANK -- CONTINUOUS

As the bus pulls out, the purple thread PULLS THE PIN-- hostages scream and scurry away from the Bank Manager, who shakes with fear as, with a FIZZ, the grenade does not explode, but SPEWS RED SMOKE.

19 EXT. BANK -- DAY

The School Bus pulls free of the Bank wall and pulls out onto the street, SLIDING INTO THE LINE OF IDENTICAL HEADING PAST THE BANK. The buses trundle past COP CARS racing up the street... and we- CUT.